Pongola

Pongola is named after the Phongolo River (River of Troughs), which runs northeastward through Mocambique into the Indian Ocean. On the Mocambique side the river is called the Maputo River.

Attractions

Also see the neighbouring towns

Pongola is on the N2, and less than 10Km away from the Swaziland borderposts of Onverwacht and Salitje. Daytrips into the Swaziland interior are possible.

The Pongolapoort Nature Reserve (in Zulu: uPhongolo) lies about 40Km to the east. The Ithala Game Reserve, westward, is closer in a straight line, but on tarred road about 80Km away. The Reserve was proclaimed as such on 13 June 1894 by Pres. Paul Kruger of the Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek, and thus the oldest reserve on the African continent. About 20'000 Ha was set aside for ths purpose. The Reserve was taken over by farmers when the Anglo-Boer War changed the political landscape, and the reserve deproclaimed in the early 1900s. Part of the original Reserve area was again declared a conservation area only as recently as 1978.

The Pongolapoort Dam, also known as the Jozini Dam, lies within Pongola Nature Reserve in the valleys below the Lebombo escarpment. The dam was built in 1970 for the irrigation of farm land, especially sugarcane. It is stocked with Tigerfish, much to the delight of fishermen.

Boating is allowed on the dam, and there are dam cruising services available. Sunset cruises are very popular.

There is a border post to Swaziland at the dam at Golela, the Swaziland side called Lavumisa, which is about 35Km from Nsoko.

Places around the dam are: Golela, Jozini, Nkonkoni, Candover and Kingholm.

Nature

Pongola falls within the WWF Maputaland-Pondoland bushland and thickets ecoregion.

On the interior side of the Phongolo River lies the Lebombo escarpment, which is about 600m above sea level.

Wild life in the area

Giraffe, white rhino, leopard, wildebees, kudu, impala, nyala, burchell, mountain zebras, buffalo, elephant, hippo and crocodiles. 350 bird species, such as the fish eagle, purple-crested lourie and whitefaced duck. 100 species of reptiles and amphibia

Warning: Pongola is situated in the Malaria belt on the east coast of Southern Africa.

Climate